I Love You
by Alexz Recoro
Summary: A small NarutoHinata one shot. The title really says it all.


I Love You

Author: Alexz Recoro

Summary: A small Naruto/Hinata one shot. The title really says it all.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

AN: This came late at night while listening to my Ipod, so it might seems a little . . . sudden. Anyway, tell me what you think!

Naruto slowed his steps as he neared the field of flowers where Neji had told him that Hinata was having a picnic with little Jiraiya and Tsunade. Naruto didn't know how she was managing to keep the two of them from killing each other or themselves, the task exhausted him most of the time, but Hinata was amazing in that way. Shikamaru smirked at his friend and nudged him with his shoulder.

"What's up Naruto?"

"Shut up, I'm treasuring this sight." Naruto said in awe. As Shikamaru followed the gaze, he had to agree, it was a sight to be treasured. Hinata sat on a blanket, her back to the two approaching ninja, unaware of their presence just yet. Naruto's eyes ran lovingly over the back of his wife for a few moments, drinking in the sight of her, before looking just past her.

Somehow little Tsunade had convinced her twin to sit completely still while she completely _covered_ him in flower jewelry. Poor Jiraiya looked like he wanted to run screaming for the hills, but Naruto knew his son. Jiraiya would sit there and let his sister do whatever she wanted because if he didn't Tsunade would cry, and Jiraiya _hated _that. Plus, if the crying didn't work, Tsunade would just beat him within an inch of his life. Naruto smirked as he reflected that he and Hinata had chosen the perfect names for their twins, although if Jiraiya-sensei showed _any_ indication of taking his namesake under his wing and perverting him, Hinata had threatened his life.

Shikamaru simply shook his head as he looked at his friend's children. The twins had definitely taken after their father, with his blonde hair and big blue eyes, and in personality and hyper-activity. Plus, both twins showed a definite knack for getting in trouble, something else their daddy had in spades. The two were also already showing their ninja talents, even though they were still too young for the Academy. Just before he and Naruto had left for their mission, Tsunade had told 'Uncle' Shikamaru with utter confidence that she would summon a toad one day, just like her daddy.

Shikamaru snuck a glance at his friend, in awe at how much he had changed since that day in class when he had failed for the third time. At only twenty four years of age, he had already accomplished his dream of becoming the Sixth Hokakage, with Tsunade stepping down and letting Naruto rule. He was tall, the tallest ninja in the village, and lean, with his blonde hair just as spiky and unruly as ever. His smile wasn't huge and masking anymore, but smaller with true happiness, especially when he looked at his family.

He had married Hinata when they were only nineteen, sneaking around past her family and father, until Tsunade had announced that Naruto had earned the title of Hokakage and they could reveal their secret. By that time, Hinata had been four months pregnant, and Shikamaru had, in his role as Naruto's personal bodyguard and advisor, been forced to yank Hiashi off of the newly named Hokakage, especially because he figured that Hinata wouldn't be pleased if her husband murdered his father-in-law.

Shikamaru and Naruto had become extremely close in the years before Naruto finally achieved his dream, because after Naruto had dragged Sasuke back kicking and screaming, things had never been the same between the two. Having your best friend try to kill you so he could be more powerful will strain even the strongest of friendships. And Naruto and Sasuke's had been new and fragile to begin with. It hadn't survived the strain. One of the many causalities of those traumatic years. And since Sakura had finally gotten Sasuke's love, her and Naruto's friendship hadn't survived either, leaving the blonde ninja as alone as he had been before.

But this time, Hinata had been there comfort and love him, and Shikamaru had shaken off his air of disinterest and extended the hand of friendship that had never been offered before. The three had quickly formed an unofficial three man cell of their own, always together when they weren't on missions. If the three of them were in the village at the same time, you never saw one without the other two. Choji and Ino occasionally joined them, but they too eventually drifted away. Shikamaru didn't hate them for that; they had all simply grown up. It was part of life.

He and Naruto had grown up themselves, and that process that pushed them towards each other. When Naruto had finally achieved his life long dream, Shikamaru and Hinata had screamed and cheered the loudest of all, while the rest of the village had clapped in grudging amazement or been rendered speechless. Jiraiya had been a close second, whistling and cheering. Shikamaru and Hinata had jumped up and down, and then Naruto had jumped off the stage right into their arms.

So when Naruto had asked Shikamaru to be his main bodyguard and advisor, Shikamaru had agreed instantly. He had been right by his friend's side for everything, including the birth of the twins. Truthfully, he hadn't been much help during that. Both he and Naruto had panicked and run around uselessly. Hinata had been calmer then either of them, ignoring both of them and sending another bodyguard for Tsunade. Of course, Jiraiya had come too, and had been just as useless as Shikamaru and Naruto.

Both Tsunade and Jiraiya had been flattered at Naruto and Hinata's decision to name the twins after them, although Tsunade and Hinata had both threatened Jiraiya with a slow, painful death if he attempted to turn his namesake into anything like himself. Jiraiya adored the twins, who called him Grandpa and had him completely wrapped around their little fingers. Tsunade was the picture of a doting Grandma, and Shikamaru was an adoring Uncle.

Naruto and Shikamaru had just returned from a four month long mission, and Shikamaru knew that the sight of his family was the only thing that Naruto wanted right now. So he simply stood by his leader and friend as they both looked at the scene.

Little Jiraiya, apparently looking for any excuse to escape his sister and the mountain of flowers she was intent on smoothing him with, saw Naruto and Shikamaru first. His blue eyes went wide and then a huge grin covered his face as he jumped to his feet.

"DADDY!" He screamed, pointing. His twin scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide and added her voice to his. "DADDY!"

With a gasp, Hinata also sprang to her feet and spun around. When she saw Naruto, one hand flew up to cover her mouth, and tears of happiness filled her eyes. "Naruto." She whispered. Then she was running through the flowers and graceful and delicate as a fairy, the twins right behind her. "Naruto! NARUTO!"

"HINATA!" Naruto yelled back. And suddenly, he was running too, towards his family. Hinata and he reached each other first. Hinata threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him for the first time in four months. Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist and held her off the ground as he kissed her back.

They broke the kiss, and Naruto released Hinata just in time for him to kneel down and welcome his children into his arms. The excited four year olds slammed into their father, but he was a rock and didn't even move, just hugged them close and kissed the top of their heads. He looked at Hinata over their heads, and his sharp blue eyes widened at the small bulge starting to form in Hinata's stomach. He looked her in the eye and she nodded, grinning and resting a hand on her stomach. Seeing all of this, Shikamaru smiled and decided to give the reunited couple some alone time.

"Hey kids!" He called. "Come on, let's so see if Grandpa Jiraiya will treat us to raman."

"RAMAN!" Jiraiya and Tsunade both cheered, leaving their dad to jump Uncle Shikamaru. Shikamaru did some juggling, but soon had Tsunade on his hip and Jiraiya riding piggy back. They set off, but Shikamaru spied Naruto and Hinata rushing together out of the corner of his eyes. And just before they were out of earshot, he heard something which made him grin.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

THE END


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